Minimization of channel filters within wireless access nodes

Abstract

A wireless access node includes a first radio operable to transmit / receive on one of at least N transmission channels. A second radio is operable to transmit / receive on another one of the at least N transmission channels. A first filter bank, of less than N filters, filters a first transmit / receive signal of the first radio. A second filter bank, of less than N filters, filters a second transmit / receive signal of the second radio. Generally, N is greater than 2.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The invention relates generally to communication networks. More particularly, the invention relates to minimization of channel filters within wireless access nodes of a mesh network.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Wireless access devices are becoming more prevalent. Wireless access can be implemented in many different forms, including connecting a wireless access device (client) through a wireless mesh network that provides connection to a wired network. FIG. 1 shows a wireless mesh network that includes a client device 140. The wired gateway in the FIG. 1 can accept clients directly, so it can also be an access node. The client device 140 is wirelessly connected to an access node 130. The wireless access node 130 is wirelessly connected to a wired gateway 110 through another wireless access node 120. The wired gateway 110 can provide access to the internet 100 as an access node.[0003]The transfer of information from the client 140 to the gateway 110 is ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The invention is about minimizing interference and hardware costs of wireless access nodes. It includes a wireless access node with two radios and two filter banks to filter signals on different channels. The access node can communicate with other devices in a wireless mesh network. The invention also includes a method for routing information through the network and selecting the best path for communication. The technical effects of the invention are reduced interference, improved signal quality, and more efficient network communication."

Problems solved by technology

Mesh networks such as the mesh network shown in FIG. 1 can suffer from interference problems.

This interference can reduce the maximum throughput delivered by the mesh.

However, interference between communication channels is more difficult to control with mesh networks that include omni-directional antennas.

Actual implementations of mesh networks still suffer some interference even when different frequency spectra are allocated for different transmission channels of the mesh network.

This undesired adjacent channel signal power causes interference.

Furthermore, even if the transmitted signals are completely contained within their designated channels, their relatively high power can cause loss of sensitivity for nearby receivers.

However, the filtering can add undesired cost to the access nodes.

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